Previewing the 2023 Virginia Field Hockey Season
Michele Madison has had some very talented teams in her 17 years at the helm of the Virginia field hockey program. The squad she has entering year 18 might have the highest ceiling of any of them. With a roster that boasts just the right combination of "versatility, exciting skills, and depth in every line" (in Madison's own words), the 2023 iteration of the Cavaliers just might have what it takes to get over the hump to capture the program's first national championship.
The coaches polls tend to agree with that assessment as well. Virginia was picked to finish second in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll and received three of the seven first-place votes. UVA is also ranked No. 6 in the country in the preseason NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll.
As the Cavaliers prepare for what could be a special season, here's our full preview of the 2023 Virginia field hockey campaign, including a complete breakdown of the roster and schedule.
Recapping the 2022 season
Once again facing a highly challenging schedule, Virginia turned in a 13-8 overall record, including a 3-3 mark in ACC play. The Cavaliers earned back-to-back thrilling victories to advance to the ACC Championship final, where they fell to the eventual national champions North Carolina. UVA made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the 14th time in Madison's 17 seasons leading the program, but fell in the first round to Iowa in a heartbreaking shootout loss.
In 2023, Virginia will look to make that 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in 18 seasons and return to the Final Four for the sixth time in program history and first time since 2019. In examining their roster, the Cavaliers certainly have the horses to reach those lofty goals.
Roster
Virginia loses a few key contributors from last season, headlined by First-Team All-American Annie McDonough and fellow starters Cato Geusgens, Jet Trimborn, and Lindsay Dickinson. Outside of those four players, though, the Cavaliers bring back their entire starting lineup as well as several other notable role players and add two experienced transfers and five talented freshmen.
Seemingly every position on the field is an area of strength for UVA, but the backline defense might be the strongest. Juniors Jans Croon and Emily Field and sophomore Madison Orsi bring a great deal of experience, combining to start 46 games last season. Croon and Orsi, as well as sophomore midfielder Daniela Mendez-Trendler and incoming freshman Mia Abello, suited up for the United States' U-21 team that won gold at the Junior Pan Am Cup this spring. Abello, who also earned a spot on the U.S. Senior Women's National Team before her senior year of high school, is expected to have a significant impact right away beginning her collegiate career. Senior Meghen Hengerer and sophomore Lauren Kenah are listed as midfielders, but can also play on the backline if needed.
In addition to Hengerer and Kenah, Virginia has a number of experienced players returning in the midfield, headlined by Daniela Mendez-Trendler, who was named to the 2023 Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team after earning First-Team All-ACC honors as a true freshman, tallying eight goals last fall. Graduate Adele Iacobucci, who has appeared in 83 games over the course of her career and who is exercising her additional COVID eligibility to return for a fifth season, also returns at midfield, as does junior Noa Boterman, who was third on the team with five goals a season ago. Lilly Hengerer and Caroline Nemec round out the returning midfielders with key experience. To supplement that unit, Virginia acquired two graduate transfer midfielders from Cal - Megan Connors and Rachel Buttinger. Connors was a two-year captain and appeared in 47 games, while Buttinger led the Bears with 14 points on five goals and four assists in her senior season in 2022.
Continuing the trend of depth and talent across the field, Virginia has a plethora of options at striker who can apply pressure to opposing defenses and consistently find the back of the cage. Just like Iacobucci, Laura Janssen returns for her fifth year at UVA, giving the Cavaliers their leading scorer from 2022 with 26 points on a career-high 12 goals and two assists. Janssen has appeared in 82 games, including 59 starts, and is expected to reprise her role as a focal point of Virginia's offense. Joining Janssen at striker are seniors Anneloes Knol and Esha Shah and junior Taryn Tkachuk, who had four goals and three assists last season. The strikers and midfielders are largely interchangeable, giving the Cavaliers plenty of scoring options.
In cage, junior Tyler Kennedy seems to be the likely starting goalkeeper after she started six games last season and turned in a .703 save percentage, fourth-best in the ACC. Behind Kennedy is fellow junior Jackie Stinger and freshman Nilou Lempers.
Managing the expansive talent at her disposal and getting the most of her roster will be the biggest challenge for Michele Madison this fall, but depth will certainly not be an issue. Virginia has the personnel to compete with the best in the country and, as we shift to take a look at the schedule, the Cavaliers will again be tested against the best of the best.
Schedule
Of the 16 regular season games on Virginia's schedule, 12 of those contests will pit the Cavaliers against teams ranked in the preseason NFHCA Top 20. That includes five games against teams that will start the season in the top 10.
In non-conference play, Virginia will host No. 5 Penn State, No. 14 Liberty, No. 13 Harvard, and No. 3 Maryland. The Cavaliers will travel to play at No. 11 Saint Joseph's, Temple, William & Mary, Miami (Ohio), and James Madison.
The ACC has an argument as the toughest conference in the country once again. In ACC play, Virginia will host No. 17 Boston College, No. 20 Duke, and No. 1 North Carolina. UVA will travel to play at No. 8 Syracuse, No. 9 Louisville, No. 12 Wake Forest, and No. 20 Duke.
After the regular season, Virginia will serve as the host for the 2023 ACC Field Hockey Championship, which will take place October 31st through November 3rd at UVA's Turf Field in Charlottesville.
Click here to see the complete 2023 Virginia field hockey schedule.
Virginia will open the 2023 season on Friday, August 25th, when the Cavaliers welcome No. 5 Penn State to Charlottesville. The match is set to begin at 6pm ET and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
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